The various high level languages for computer programming (C, COBOL, FORTRAN, PL/I, . . . ) all have different definitions and models For run-time execution of application programs. These models define the run-time semantics of software applications. Besides being inconsistent, these models only apply to applications that are written entirely in one programming language.
The various operating system environments in the computer industry also have different models of application program execution. For example, the IBM MVS, VM/CMS, OS/2, CICS, and OS/400 operating systems present the programmer with strikingly different environments for executing applications. As a consequence difficulties may arise in structuring and writing application programs so that they may be used in more than one environment.
Various industry standards have tried to address many of these problems. However, industry standards have applied primarily to single languages, or to single operating system environments, and have not attempted to unify multiple languages and operating environments simultaneously. See for example programming language standards:
American National Standard for Information Systems--Programming Language COBOL, X3.23-1985
American National Standard for Information Systems--Programming Language FORTRAN, X3.9-1990
American National Standard for Information Systems--Programming Language C, X3.159-1990
Operating environments:
IEEE Standard Portable Operating System Interface For Computer Environments, IEEE Std. 1003.1-1988. (Also known as POSIX.)
X/Open Common Applications Environment.
What is needed and not provided by the prior art is a method and means for managing program execution that unifies the widely disparate models presented by various high level language and operating system standards. The invention described below defines a model for execution of applications that are constructed out of multiple program subcomponents, are potentially written in multiple programming languages, and may be used in more than one operating system environment, with consistent and well defined behavior.